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Comings and Goings

and Happy New Year!

I’ve been debating what to post for our New Year post this year and I’ve found it pretty difficult. I wanted to write about change, resolutions, a multitude of things. Instead, I’m writing about Jehovah. At church this morning we were singing the song, “Days of Elijah” and the line repeats, over and over, “There’s no God like Jehovah” and that part of the song is always where my mind wanders. Not to bad things, but to more focused things, like the names of God. When I was younger, a young man in my church converted to become a Jehovah’s witness. At a Wednesday night Bible study, it’s all he could talk about, that Jehovah was the ONLY name of God. It is true that Jehovah is a name of God, but not the only name given of God in the Bible. I’m personally partial to “I AM.” But, today, I do want to mention some of these Jehovah “compound names” seen in the old Testament. This is just a sampling: Jehovah – Jireh: The Lord Who Provides (Gen 22), Jehovah – Rapha: The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:22-26), Jehovah –Nissi: The Lord Our Banner (Exodus 17:8-15).

When my mind wandered this morning, it was to, “There’s no god like Jehovah, There’s no god like Jehovah–my Healer, There’s no god like Jehovah–my Provider, There’s no God like Jehovah–my Victor!” and each line just filled my heart with so much more joy. In the last week, I’ve rejoiced in the holidays with my family over their health and being together. I’ve felt some heartache as I left my mountain home to come back to my east coast home. I’ve been excited for 2 friends who have gotten engaged and for the new life being born in my family. And I’ve wept for a new dear friend who lost her son in a tragic accident the day after Christmas. My prayers for 2011 include that everyone in my circle and family would know there’s no god like Jehovah. There is none like Him. Behold He comes!

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Why There Will Be No Stokes Family Christmas Cards in 2010

I could write you a list of excuses about long nights at work, busy evenings with Robbie and the baby getting dinners ready and slaving to take care of everyone, but in this case, those are not the reasons.

The reason we have no Stokes Family Christmas cards in 2010 is IN-COOPERATION! And not from Robbie this time!! Different times now I have had Emily dressed in Christmas attire, sitting in front of the tree, and every single time she either 1. makes really strange faces, 2. won’t be still, 3. turns around and pulls ornaments off the tree or 4. grabs the branches and shakes (while making funny faces)!

Here are some examples of what we tried to get this holiday season for you. There are also some pics of her helping me make cookies. Hope they brighten your week as you get ready for Christmas!!!

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Jingle all the Way! (Challenge #3)

For my 3rd challenge, I completed a real CHALLENGE! I decided to head to Raleigh for the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk. It was a 5k event… my first feat attempting to walk so far. I had a partner in crime, too, my friend Erin! Here’s a pic of us before we got going:
Here’s what I learned from this event: 1. Raleigh has hills 2. When you reach your breaking point, just remind yourself it you can get through labor with no epidural, you can do this 3. If you wear jingle bells on your shoes, consider using safety pins or thick twine b/c small ties just get cut by the bells. 4. If you fall flat on your face in the middle of Hillsborough street you can resist the urge just to hobble back to your car instead of the finish line or you can push on through and finish with glory. Praise God, I finished!! Woo hoo!! It wasn’t pretty. I was super sweaty, legs were jello and my face was red as a beat (either from sweating or being so dang cold) but I was done and that’s what mattered.

Here’s some of the fun from my house this week:

Hope you’re having a great week!

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giving in, giving up, and giving back

I’ve been struggling for what seems like forever with finding the time to get “me” straight again after having the baby.  She is 6 MONTHS OLD! this week and it’s amazing how time gets away from you.  I think as a new mom, it is VERY hard to find balance. Let me rephrase that, as a new mom and as a working mom.  Before I went back to work, I could figure out where I could find time to do my Bible study during the morning or where I could go for a walk in the afternoon (or vice versa) and still get dinner on the table, the baby fed and clothed, and have the energy to have a grown up conversation with Robbie in the evenings.  But when I went back to work, forget it. I’m exhausted from the work day, much less finding time for extracurricular things, especially work-outs.  Someone told me one day, “Well, the gym has childcare.”  Well, that’s all well and fine, but I have enough working mom guilt as it is.  I’m away from her all day while I work and then you want me to spend another hour of her awake time away from her so I can work out at the gym?  Um, no. I think not.  So, I’ve been contemplating what I can do to get it back together again.  No, I’ve never been “skinny” but I’ve been healthier than I am now.

While at Henry’s fundraiser this weekend, I had a blast. Yes, it was fun to see my family and Henry, but it was even more fun to feel like I was giving back–to Henry, to the community, to the cause.  So, here’s my proposal… I propose that I should give in to finding a little time for myself now and then, give up some of my pounds and give back to my community all at the same time. Here’s how: by attempting to participate in 12 physical fundraisers in the next 12 months, starting with the Good Samaritan 5K/Family Walk here in Greenville 10/9/2010 (a 1 mile walk) and ending with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte, NC 10/2011 (a 39.3 mile walk over 2 days). If I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna need your help! I will need your thoughts, your prayers, your support (sometimes monetary for the causes, sometimes just advice on where to find an event in the wintertime), and your accountability!

Feel free to join me!!!! I would love to hear about your journeys as well or walk with you in an event!  Any other mom’s feel that working guilt thing?

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making a SPLASH!!!

We’ve had a busy week around these parts, but it’s been great!  By mid week, I decided to get a relaxing tub bath, but I had a very alert baby!! So, I made her a blanket and let her play in the bathroom floor with her toys while I de-stressed.  She didn’t seem to mind much at all.

Later in the week, Grandma Bendy, Aunt Sarah and Cuz Henry came down. They went to the beach for a night with a friend then came up to spend some time here.  Of course, we had to go swimming.  So we enjoyed the pool at Aunt Cathy’s and cooled off.  The next day, Sarah and I took off to hit a few stores, mainly Once Upon a Child, where they were having a clearance sale.  That’s where Sarah got these great sunglasses for the baby!  She seemed to like them okay but she seemed to like having them on her head better.

Either way, she loves to hang out with Henry!  They love each other. She loves to watch him and he lights up every time she touches him!

We ended the weekend with a SPLASH! as Robbie was baptized at Black Jack!  Woo hoo!! He didn’t drown and we’re officially church members!

More of our adventures to come!! :)

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